If you aren't even going to try to understand the post you are responding to, then OK, you have me.

The part I disagree with is Microsoft selling more consoles than Nintendo this generation, which flat out has not happened. Nintendo won this generation, while Microsoft and Sony took turns damaging their brands with hardware and software calamities.

As for the topic at hand, I don't see any harm to B&N from putting their Nook software on Win 8 tablets, particularly if it helps ease their patent woes. If Win 8 is a huge success, it helps them, and if Win 8 bombs as a tablet OS, it really doesn't hurt them.

I don't see the B&N Nook hardware switching to a Microsoft OS any time soon. They are already committed to Android, and have an edge vs. Amazon because they were producing a third-generation device while Amazon was working on their first generation Android tablet. Switching to some mobile version of Windows would put them back at square one, while meanwhile Amazon is surely working on a second-generation Fire.

Also, if B&N had decided to switch operating systems, I would expect to be reading about high-level staff leaving their Nook team.

I'm not sure the WII was in the same generation as the PS# and Xbox (I have all three, btw). It's tough to compare because Nintendo was selling older technology before the Xbox then PS3 were on shelves. Lower price and specs with a completely unique (at the time) user interface contributed to excellent sales and initial market domination. WII sales have dropped off while PS3 and Xbox are winning current quarters.

But that wasn't my point.

Microsoft entered a market dominated by two established players and within a few years is selling more units (per month) than either. Redmond stumbled mightily out of the gate -- choosing the wrong HD format and missing out on the interactive idea -- but pushed on to establish itself in the market.

Ditto on Zune. The Zune is an excellent media player but MS failed to market and support it properly. That doesn't mean they will not succeed in the media market place.

I don't really understand your argument. Microsoft didn't "enter the market" with the XBox 360, it was their second-generation model after the original XBox.

I give Microsoft full credit for staying in the market, and making some good moves, but they have at best come in second this time around, and that's only if you leave out the DS and PSP.

As to whether Microsoft will take the E-Book world by storm, the jury is still very much out. Among other factors, it depends how much they actually want to. They really wanted to make it in video games, but other promising ventures have been killed before they even hit the market. Even Microsoft Flight Sim was shut down for a while, and that has always been a dependable profit-maker.

OK, then xbox. The point is MS chose to enter a market dominated by established players and very quickly became one of the dominent, established players.

OK, that much is certain. And I'm sorry if I've been nitpicking.

The real question is whether Microsoft want to get into the ebook business as much as they wanted to make it in video games. I think that they just want their new tablets to be competitive, so they want an e-reader app and store to go with their games and etc. It's all about their tablet version of Win8, not about dominating ebooks.

I was conceding -- you weren't nitpicking. I don't think it's a game thing or a tablet thing or a reader thing. Microsoft wants to deliver entertainment to the world. All of these are just part of the plan.

MS entering a market hardly guarantees it will succeed. B&N receiving $300 million is a big help, except that a) they're going to flush a nice chunk of that down the tubes switching to Win 8, and b) they burned through $80 million last year -- and the trends are all down.

So B&N is better off with MS's money, but it hardly guarantees success.

While I definitely agree that Microsoft's track record is a bit spotty, I'd hardly say they've failed spectacularly when it comes to e-mail. Not only is Hotmail one of the biggest webmail sites out there, lots of corporations use Outlook and Exchange.

B&N receiving $300 million is a big help, except that a) they're going to flush a nice chunk of that down the tubes switching to Win 8, and b) they burned through $80 million last year -- and the trends are all down.

Where have you seen anything substantive about B&N switching to Windows 8?

My guess would be that they are simply porting their existing desktop app to Windows 8 (tablet version), which they would probably have to do anyway. Nice to get paid for it, and nice for Microsoft to have that piece in place at launch.

The deal is a godsend for BN , since they have a partner with deep pockets standing by ready to help when Amazon begins its price war on bestsellers later on this year .
Amazon can outspend BN offering cut-rate bestsellers in an attempt to gain market share: it can't outspend Microsoft.
BN gets tech help and Microsoft money in developing and rolling out Nook Tablet . I expect Microsoft will bankroll the cost of BN switching to Windows 8, which I think is an inevitable move.
For Microsoft, its gets a Windows 8 tablet in every BN store, showing off Microsoft technology. It may even get a mini-Microsoft Store in every BN store, similar to the mini Apple Stores in Target. There may also be a MS-BN branded reader app on every mobile platform as well, depending on how deep the partnership goes. I think Microsoft's initial investment is only the thin edge of the wedge.

Because the Nook software developers have their own priorities?
They appear to be in no rush to get it out.

Amazon, on the other hand, announced their support ages ago, had the app out on launch day, and cooked up deals with all the big PC vendors to pre-install Kindle for Win8 on their PCs.

So much for MS helping sell Nook...
(You can lead a horse to water...)

B&N cannot spend as much money on software development as Amazon. And it looks like their developers where overtaxed:
- Nook introduction in the UK has been delayed for 2 weeks, from what I have read because the website was not ready in time.
- The release of Nook Study for iPad has been delayed.
Priority for B&N now is probably getting the software for the new tablets ready for release on november 8.

MS paid them $300 frakkin' million!
With a promise of another $300-plus million.
And they can't even say *when* they'll have the thing ready? They can't be bothered to throw a bone to their banker?
That's disinterest.